14 killed, over 20 injured in suicide bombing outside Pakistan police station

The blast occurred as the Swat Peace Rally was passing through Kabal town in Swat district, where demonstrators had gathered to demand peace and denounce militancy. The bombing was confirmed as a suicide attack.

In Short

• Fourteen killed including five police in Kabal suicide bombing
• Attack hit Swat Peace Rally demanding end to militancy
• Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) later claimed responsibility for the blast

At least fourteen people, including five police personnel and eight civilians, were killed, and over two dozen others injured in a suicide bombing near Kabal Police Station in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. The blast occurred as the Swat Peace Rally was passing through Kabal town in Swat district, where demonstrators had gathered to demand peace and denounce militancy.

According to the Associated Press, the incident happened as participants marched near the police station, chanting anti-militant slogans. District police chief Omar Khan said at least five police officers were among those killed in the attack.

The bombing was confirmed as a suicide attack, with police and rescue teams rushing to the scene as security forces launched an investigation. Rescue teams shifted the injured to nearby hospitals, while police and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area.

The Swat Peace Rally was organised by the Swat Aman Jirga, a local tribal council, with participants carrying placards and raising slogans demanding peace in the region, which has witnessed a deterioration in the security situation in recent months.

VIDEOS SHOW CHAOS AFTER BLAST

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show hundreds of people taking part in the rally before the explosion. Moments later, the footage showed scenes of panic, with thick smoke billowing into the air as people ran for cover.

Subsequent visuals showed damaged vehicles, debris scattered across the road and emergency responders rushing to the scene. Ambulances were seen evacuating the wounded while security personnel secured the area. Bystanders also appeared to assist the injured as crowds gathered near the blast site.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) later claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, according to Reuters. The TTP is separate from, but allied with, Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. Pakistani authorities have long accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of providing sanctuary to TTP militants, an allegation Kabul has consistently denied.

PAKISTAN CONDEMNS ATTACK

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep grief and sorrow over the suicide blast", while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, extended condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

The Swat Valley was once a stronghold of Islamic militants who imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law before the Pakistani military launched a major operation in 2007 that drove them out and restored government control, according to the Associated Press.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in recent years, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where police, security personnel and civilians have increasingly been targeted in bombings and armed attacks. The province, which borders Afghanistan, has remained on high alert amid renewed militant activity.

- Ends
With inputs from agencies